Menu

Need to restructure your sales and marketing teams to be more effective?

JoniSantos

May 29, 2013

Need to restructure your sales and marketing teams to be more effective?

Whether you are merging two disparate sales teams into one or merely restructuring your teams to compete more effectively, reorgs can be quite daunting. Truthfully, there are many “balls” to juggle when restructuring, but a solid strategy and meticulous plan make the tasks manageable and will facilitate a successful transition.

The “What” … Setting-up the organization for success
Before you start moving boxes around on the org chart, you need to first have clarity on what you are trying to achieve and the strategy you will employ to get there. For instance, are you looking for efficiencies by eliminating duplicative positions, striving to drive top-line revenue by implementing a new coverage model, or simplifying the customer experience by providing a single point of contact?

Once the decision-makers from all affected teams agree on the goals and strategies, the next step is to identify the right customer segmentation model and the appropriate mix of the salesperson’s bag (e.g., full bag vs. partial bag, mix of products and services) to bring your strategies to life.

The “How”… Implementing tactics for achieving success
Successfully putting your plans into action requires having the right tactics in place – and in use. Often companies have multiple sales processes and tools, all of which may not effectively align with the selling needs in the integrated model. This is a great time to assess what’s working, what’s not working, as well as evaluate the support, tools, and resources the sales team requires to be successful.

The “Who”… Having the right people on the job
Now that you have a plan and feel comfortable with the mechanisms in place to support the transition, the final piece of the puzzle hinges on the team. Do you have the right people on the job today to handle the responsibilities of the new organization? Can you implement a training program to bring the team up-to-speed? Once the integrated model and sales process have been defined, it’s a good idea to perform a capabilities analysis of the current sales force to determine who has the abilities and tenacity to be successful and then fill in the gaps with new-hires.

Beyond the sales organization, it is critical to have clear roles and responsibilities outlined across every affected team. Sales, Marketing, Finance, Customer Service, etc. should all understand what roles they play in the sales process and who is accountable for each outcome along the way.

Lessons Learned…
If your company is seeking to reorganize the sales team/selling capability, Symmetrics Group can help. We have experience working with companies on every aspect of the restructuring process – from determining the overall strategy during the early planning phase to rolling-out the change management plan at the end. Our knowledge of what it takes to be successful and our management of the moving pieces will allow you to focus on your real job of making money.